International Women’s Day 2023
Today is International Women’s Day (IWD) – a global day celebrating women’s achievements around the world, both past and present. This year’s challenging theme is #EmbraceEquity and it’s fantastic and really heartening to see so many of the 91°µÍø community striking the pose in support of women:
Collective activism is what leads to change and IWD is an annual reminder of our role in being part of the movement to drive positive change for women.
This year’s theme highlights the important distinction between equity and equality. Equity is about recognising that people have different starting points, different advantages and challenges and it’s about acting on this, to give individuals the support, opportunities and resources that they need in order to achieve the equal outcome. Equality remains the goal, equity is the means by which we achieve it.
As you will be aware, we successfully renewed our Athena SWAN Bronze award, given by Advance HE in recognition of an institution’s commitment to promoting gender equality. Led by co-chairs Professor Nicola Menzies-Gow and Dr. Sharon Kendall, the 91°µÍø Self-Assessment Team (SAT) worked over a period of 15 months to consider and further develop the 91°µÍø’s ongoing efforts in ensuring the continued improvement of the recruitment, retention, and promotion of female academic, research and professional services staff.
In celebration of some of the achievements of 91°µÍø women today, we are pleased to share the experiences of a few colleagues who have participated in the Aurora Leadership Programme and the South East Action Learning Programme (SEAL) - see below.
We would also like to share with you some IWD stories, historical information and events list. Please feel free to add your comments and share any relevant information.
Sally Burton, Infrastructure Operations Director
I currently work as Infrastructure Operations Director within the Infrastructure Services Directorate (IT, Library and Estates). I have worked at the 91°µÍø since 2002 in various role and began my management career in 2009 following the merger of the IT and Library services. I also mentor 91°µÍø participants on the Aurora programme which is a national initiative that aims to address the under-representation of women in leadership positions in the sector.
I have been fortunate enough to advance my career from working school hours as a single mum to work my way up and assume more significant responsibilities in line with my children growing up. I have taken on various roles within the organisation and am grateful to the 91°µÍø that my hard work, dedication, and leadership skills have been recognised.
In 2017, I earned an MA in Human Resource Management, I see continual learning as vital to growing professionally and I have leveraged my knowledge and skills to support the college's staff and students, ensuring they have access to the services and resources they need to excel.
As a woman in a male-dominated field, I have faced challenges along the way, but I have persevered and become a role model for other women who aspire to achieve success in their careers while raising a family.
On International Women’s Day I hope that my story in some way inspires women who strive to balance their personal and professional lives while pursuing their dreams. My hard work, dedication, and commitment to my family and career serve as an example of what is possible when women are given the support and opportunities they need to thrive.
Perdi Welsh, Principal Teaching Fellow
Course Director for Certificates in Advanced Veterinary Nursing
From October 2022 until March 2023, I undertook the Aurora Leadership Programme which aims to encourage women in academic and professional roles in HE to gain confidence in leadership, develop their own style and approach and inspire them to take on more leadership roles.
There were six online attendance days and there’s just about to be one final face-to-face day at the end of March, all of which have been held during my normal working hours and I’ve had the full support of my line manager to attend all of these days. On one or two occasions I had to juggle my workload and switch a couple of meetings around, but, we were given all of the Aurora dates at the start of the programme which allowed me to plan ahead very effectively and keep these dates free.
Having a mentor is one of the requirements of the programme, and I have a wonderful and very encouraging mentor, whom I’ve met with regularly to discuss how I’m finding the Aurora programme and importantly, to nudge me to think about how I’m going to apply the concepts, learning and strategies from the programme to my day to day work and future professional career development.
I feel very positive about my experience. It was inspirational to be taught by so many encouraging and motivational female leaders during the programme. During each of the online Aurora days, we were on Zoom with almost 300 other women also working in academic and professional roles across universities in the UK. Being part of this forum and being given the opportunity to share, discuss and learn from each other through the guided break-out room activities means I’ve also been able to build up a network of colleagues involved in a wide range of courses and roles within HE. I’ve developed more confidence in leadership and am not afraid to develop my own style of leadership. Importantly, I now have a hugely supportive and talented network of people I can contact to share ideas, or concerns or for support.